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Our Vision - A Brief History

Our Vision is to build a strong, non-denominational,
Spirit-filled, Family-friendly, Youth-oriented Word-church with exuberant
praise and intimate worship, to serve God and His People.

River City Church derived its name from Psalm 46:4 ("There
is a River whose streams make glad the City of God..."). The word River refers
to God's Spirit among us, and the word City refers to your
life. So God's Spirit is flowing through your life at River City Church.

OUR VISION: A BRIEF HISTORY:

After much prayer and counsel, Joel and Heidi Hitchcock started River City
Church. Here is a short history:

1. 23 Years of Evangelism

Dr. Joel Hitchcock has ministered as an evangelist for most of the 23 years of
his full time ministry. He held revival service in churches of different
denominations all over the United States and the world. He also held
evangelistic miracle crusades in many countries. Heidi joined the
ministry after her marriage to Joel, and together they have reached out to the
harvest.

2. Pastor a Church?

Joel had been given the opportunity to pastor existing churches several times
in his ministry. A couple of them were strong, healthy and established
churches. Each time Joel felt that this was not God's will for the time
being. Often people would ask Joel if he ever would pastor a church, and
by default his answer was that if God willed it, that he would gladly do so,
but for now he was to continue itinerant ministry (preaching as a guest speaker
from one church to another).

He was then asked the same question by a pastor who operates strongly in the
prophetic ministry in December 2012. And for the next few months he could not
shake it. In Joel's own words, "It was the most agonizing 2 1/2
months. I could not shake it. The thought was ever present in my mind. It
became the main topic in Heidi and my conversations. I prayed and could not get
an answer. My mind felt cluttered with so many questions. I could not discern
whether or not I was supposed to pastor a church. What about my calling as an
evangelist? What would my brethren, the local pastors say? Will it be
affiliated with any denomination? Where will it be - South Africa, New Zealand
or America? And if it is America - will it be in California, Florida, Colorado
or Delaware?"

Finally Joel concluded that pastoring a church would not mean an end to
evangelism, because Joel would continue to be an evangelist whether on the road
or from a base. If he pastored a church, all that would really change
would be his itinerant ministry to other churches. But he would still
continue holding his international crusades 2-3 times a year as he had been
doing, and his church would be evangelistic in nature. But before he
could go any further, what would the pastors in his area say? So he contacted
every pastor he had a relationship with in Sussex County, Delaware.

3. Receiving the blessing of the local pastors

"Before I could even think or pray effectively in terms of starting a
local work, I first had to consult with my brethren - the local pastors of our
community. I contacted every pastor in Sussex County with whom I had some
kind of relationship. Each one that I talked to gave me their unreserved
blessing. One offered his building, another two offered a financial
contribution and yet another even offered sowing a couple of members into the
new work. I am humbly thankful for their blessing, and feel that I can
move forward at this point..." Joel Hitchcock (Click here for
a list of pastors in or around Sussex County that have given us their
blessing)

4. The Answer Comes

With the knowledge that the local pastors had given him their blessing, Joel
felt that he could pray about it much better. And then one day in the middle of
February it happened. Again, in Joel's words "I suddenly I felt that it
was the right thing to do to go forward in starting a church. It was not like I
heard God's voice clearly at that point. It was more like a prompting in my
spirit. I also felt that starting a church would be part of the bigger
picture..." Confirmation came from many different circumstances, and
the favor Joel had on this endeavor. And yet another word from a prophetic
minister confirmed that Joel and Heidi were on the right path.

5. The Opening Service: May 5, 2013

River City Church held its first service on the first Sunday of May
2013. Many wonderful friends and well wishers attended the meeting and a few
indicated that River City would be their home church. The atmosphere in the
church is wonderful. Joel loves to focus attention on the immediate presence of
Jesus in the services. The music and worship is great, the Word is preached
under the anointing of the Spirit, and many are ministered to by the gifts of
the Holy Spirit - such as healing and prophecy.